No. 7 Cougars Edged by No. 4 Knights
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
#4 Marian (24-2, 14-2) | 14 | 22 | 15 | 15 | 66 |
|
#7 Saint Francis (Ind.) (23-3, 13-3) | 22 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 58 |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The No. 4 University of Saint Francis (Ind.) women's basketball team hosted No. 4 Marian University for an NAIA top-10 showdown inside the Hutzell Athletic Center during league-wide Jesus Won Day on Saturday, February 14. The Knights came away with a 66-58 victory.
Marian opened the game on an 8-0 run, but Saint Francis responded with a strong end to the first quarter, building a 22-14 advantage heading into the second. The Knights answered in the second period, outscoring the Cougars 22-12 to take a narrow 36-34 lead into halftime.
The teams traded momentum throughout the second half, with Marian carrying a 51-42 edge into the fourth quarter. Saint Francis chipped away, cutting the deficit to 61-58 with under two minutes remaining. The Knights made a pair of shots to pull ahead 66-58. The Cougars were unable to close the gap as Marian secured the win to improve to 14-2 in Crossroads League action.
Saint Francis shot 40% (22-55) from the field and 40%(12-30) from three-point range. Cali Gregory led the Cougars with 23 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double, adding three steals. Julia Mantyla contributed 16 points and five rebounds, while Taylor Fordyce finished with 10 points and four assists.
Up next, the Cougars (23-2, 13-3 CL) will travel to (RV) Huntington University on Wednesday, February 18. In their first matchup of the season, Saint Francis defeated Huntington 72-50.
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs. The academic structure at Saint Francis offers seven pathways: Humanities, Faith and Liberal Arts; Allied Health; Creative Arts and Digital Media; Education, Human Services and Community Care; Leadership and Business; Nursing; and Sciences and Medical Studies. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis delivers workforce development healthcare programs in Fort Wayne, Crown Point, Gas City, Indianapolis, Lafayette and online. Saint Francis Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. A National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Five-Star Champion of Character institution, Saint Francis has 21 athletic programs boasting three individual and four team NAIA national championships. More than 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.
